NEWS & REVIEWS

Suit accuses Casablancas of sex abuse

John Casablancas, the founder of top modeling agency Elite, has been named in a sexual abuse lawsuit by a former model who claims that more than 15 years ago, when she was 15, he impregnated her and arranged for her to have an abortion.

Casablancas, 60, whose agency has represented Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell, is accused of sexual abuse of a minor. The civil lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday. The plaintiff, whose name is not being made public, is seeking unspecified damages.

Robert Wolf, Casablancas' lawyer, called the allegations fabricated and said, "I have no doubt they will be dismissed."

Casablancas left Elite in 2000 to run the John Casablancas Modeling & Career Center in New York.